Bajorek et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,862 shows a laminated capacitor bonded to a chip carrier by means of solder balls connected to individual capacitor plates. U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,625 of Prakash shows a laminated capacitor with terminals on the ends bonded to the plates of the capacitor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,760 of Marshall for "Monolithic Capacitor with Non-noble Metal Electrodes and Method of Making the Same" describes a method of making a multilayered monolithic capacitor by using an electrode forming material including nickel oxide powder which is included in the laminated structure when it is fired. After firing, the nickel is removed by dissolving the nickel in a solution such as dilute sulfuric acid. After refiring, the structure contains voids which can be filled with suitable electrode material applied by means of a combination of capillary action and pressure. Fusible metal such as solder can be used.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,877 of Ahn et al for "Multilayer Circuits" describes a method of forming vias from a metallizing medium which includes "metals and compounds which convert to a metal during firing. The sheets are stacked in registry, laminated into a monolithic structure and heated in a reducing atmosphere to sinter the ceramic to a dense body, and simultaneously fire the metallizing media to form an adherent metal capillary within the body. A high conductivity, low melting point conductor fills the capillary thereby forming a highly conductive circuit member in the multilevel ceramic structure.
The metallizing media can be in the form of a paste. U.S. Pat. No. 3,235,939 of Rodriguez et al "Process for Manufacturing Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors" shows formation of laminated capacitors and then applying metallization to the edge of the laminated structure to give parallel connections of each end of the stack so that the plates can be bussed together. The laminated capacitor is then attached to a set of leads with one at each end of the stack. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,030,004, 3,829,356, 3,772,748, 3,965,552 and 3,679,950 of Rutt for ceramic capacitors and the like disclose methods for manufacturing MLC circuits and capacitors. Use is made of a paste that defines the circuit patterns within the structure. The paste volatizes during firing leaving voids within the structure. These voids are then filled with molten metal to form conductors within the substrate.
In the case of each of the capacitors discussed above, each of the capacitors is terminated on each end with a single lead. The only exception to that arrangement is the above patent of Bajorek et al wherein the capacitor tabs are connected to the buss bars which are connected to the LSI chip carrier by means of multiple C-4 balls, in a manner which is substantially enhanced by the instant invention, which eliminates the solder balls and substitutes the solder bars of this invention therefor. D. A. Chance and D. L. Wilcox "Capillary-Infiltrated Conductors in Ceramics" Metallurgical Transactions Vol. 2, 733-740 (Mar. 1971) describe infiltration of high conductivity liquid metals into partially metallized capillaries in ceramic structures to form highly conductive lines in the structure. Here oxidation of the previously applied metal must be avoided by operating in the absence of oxygen, etc.
In summary heretofore, a number of multiple layered ceramic technology developments have been made. MLC capacitors have been developed with edge connections, and with low inductance connections. MLC chip carriers have been provided with vias and lines which can be fabricated by a process of infiltration. In addition, in the art of capacitors, fabrication has been achieved by impregnation of ceramic structures with liquid metal. The improvements of this invention over the prior art are to afford a low inductance bar contact arrangement, fabrication of capacitor plates and connections by means of impregnation, and simplified processing procedures for achieving those ends.